Former UCF Knights linebacker Shaquem Griffin was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, selected by the Seattle Seahawks.
Griffin lost his left hand when he was four years old. He was born with amniotic band syndrome, a rare berth defect that caused him significant pain before doctors amputated the hand.
Aside from Griffin getting picked in general, the coolest part about him going to Seattle is that he’ll join his twin brother, Shaquill.
Shaquill, who played football at UCF with Shaq, was taken by Seattle in the third round of last year’s NFL draft. He was able to be with his brother Shaq when he got picked, which was so cool to see:
If you don’t get chills/tears/misty-eyed watching the scene at Shaquem Griffin’s house when he was drafted, get your heart checked. pic.twitter.com/xD3x03prKa
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) April 28, 2018
Here's the moment.@Shaquemgriffin gets the call from the @Seahawks and celebrates with his twin brother @ShaquillG. #NFLDraft
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2018
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/2KhQPB9F7L
Brothers drafted to the same team has happened before, but it’s been a while:
Shaquem Griffin will join his brother Shaquill on the Seahawks.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 28, 2018
The last time brothers were drafted by the same team was in 2001, when the Titans took CB Andre Dyson in the second round, after they had taken WR Kevin Dyson in round one in 1998 via @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/PEUNjhgG7A
Also, there’s a hilarious backstory to the moment Shaq got the call.
Apparently he was in the bathroom when the Seahawks called him up:
Awesome story (continued): Shaquem Griffin says "I was actually using the bathroom" when #Seahawks called to draft him. Twin Shaquill saw the Renton/Seahawks HQ area code, ran in "and tackled me." @thenewstribune
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) April 28, 2018
After he was drafted, his interview with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge was pretty awesome, too:
"I couldn't breathe ... I was trying to get the words out but I couldn't talk." pic.twitter.com/xxptq4vFb5
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2018
Griffin had one of the most unexpectedly best NFL combines of the year.
A big reason for that was his 40 time, a 4.38, the same time that his brother ran in 2017 ... and his brother is DB-sized, not linebacker-sized. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll got to witness it in person, too:
.@Seahawks HC @PeteCarroll reacts to @Shaquemgriffin's 40-yard dash. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/UCwOLssDEH
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2018
Carroll was excited to get Shaq after drafting him:
Text from Pete Carroll on @Shaquemgriffin - His heart and love of the game is extraordinary!! He told us he was gonna run faster than his brother and on our clocks he did it by a hundredth!!!
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 28, 2018
Griffin didn’t start inspiring people at the combine; he was doing it while he was at UCF for four years.
He had two career interceptions and 11 pass breakups, along with 18.5 career sacks and tons of tackles during his college career.
Here he is battling for a fumble he forced, then coming away from the pile with it:
Congrats to Shaq, who will start the next part of his inspiring journey in Seattle. What an incredible story for day three of the draft.
Sports, man pic.twitter.com/53DKP9hXtr
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 28, 2018
It’s officially dusty in here, folks.